RESOURCES FOR WOMEN
DURING COVID-19

Juggling work and home life during the pandemic

We need community now more than ever

Circles are small groups of women who come together for real talk and peer support. Right now, Circles are meeting virtually and helping each other through the pandemic. We’re a global community and we’re continuing to lean on each other.

Resources to help you get through this

Navigating work, housework, caregiving, and homeschooling is a daily challenge for many of us during COVID-19—and many working women bear an unfairly large burden. Here are some practical resources that shed light on the load women carry, share ways to re-strategize with your partner about what you need, and suggest strategies for juggling it all. For more resources,
check out our other topics here.

If you’re covering this topic in your virtual Circle this month, read one or more of the pieces below, then discuss as a group using our suggested questions at the end.

“Some days I feel like I’m melting”: How single mothers in New York City are coping with quarantine

The pandemic hurts all parents—but single mothers are carrying an especially heavy load.

Read on the New Yorker

You can’t reopen the economy without child care

Juggling childcare while still working is difficult—but for many women, going back to work without childcare is nearly impossible.

Read on Huffington Post

‘I feel like I have five jobs’: Moms navigate the pandemic

How to balance work and child care in a society where women still shoulder most of the domestic burden.

Read on The New York Times

The coronavirus is a disaster for feminism

Women still do the majority of caregiving and housework—and the pandemic will reinforce and widen existing inequalities.

Read on The Atlantic

Balancing work and elder care through the coronavirus crisis

How to build a routine that works for those you care about—and for you.

Read on Harvard Business Review

Tips from a teacher: How to homeschool your kids while working

Teacher and parent Athole McLauchlan shares how to manage getting work done, while keeping kids supported at home.

Read on CNN

How to support others during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Option B team curated these tips and resources for homeschooling, parenting in a crisis, and supporting parents and kids.

Read on Option B

How to reduce the stress of homeschooling on everyone

A school psychologist offers advice to parents on how to support their child during school closures.

Read on Greater Good Magazine

How dual-career couples can work through the coronavirus crisis

Five key questions to ask yourself and your partner—and how to come up with a “crisis deal.”

“This Is what happens to couples under stress”: An interview with Esther Perel

The therapist, author, and podcast host offers wisdom on navigating romantic relationships under quarantine.

Read on the New Yorker

Discussion questions for virtual Circles

These questions are designed to help you and your Circle members connect over common challenges, share your best strategies to overcome them, and workshop solutions together.

Pick one question to start with and move on to the other questions if you have time.

Juggling work and family during the pandemic

Are you taking care of kids or elders during COVID-19? What are some of the biggest challenges for you?
What are the best coping strategies you’ve found? Do you have any pro tips for juggling all these new, different demands?
Have you asked your partner, organization, or loved ones for more help since the pandemic broke out? Did it work out well? Is there anything else that you want to try asking for to ease your burden?
What’s one thing you’ve learned about the challenges women in circumstances different from yours are facing during COVID-19?